The Biggest Lingering NFL Questions Between Free Agency and the Draft

The 2025 NFL offseason has reached a lull now that the initial waves of free agency are done and the start of the draft is still a month away.

Although it may not be the most exciting point on the calendar, it's an ideal time to survey the landscape and ask some important questions in wake of the frenzy of transactions that opened the new league year.

With that in mind, here are the biggest questions still lingering ahead of the 2025 NFL draft.

The quarterback market received a jolt when Josh Allen signed a blockbuster six-year, $330 million contract extension just before the new season got underway.

While the 28-year-old's deal didn't fully reset a market that had seen several quarterbacks, including Joe Burrow, Jordan Love and Trevor Lawrence, recently ink similar $55 million per year contracts (tying them for the second-highest average annual value behind Dak Prescott's $60 million per year contract), the Buffalo Bills star did get a record-setting $250 million in guaranteed money.

Allen became the first quarterback to surpass Deshaun Watson's contract in guaranteed dollars, finally breaking the Cleveland Brown signal-caller's record from a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal that had stood as an outlier for the last three years.  

Allen's contract is ultimately a team-friendly one—he surely could have commanded more per year in wake of winning his first NFL MVP award—and could cost his fellow passers leverage at the negotiating table.

The first player to see a tangible impact from Allen's deal may be Brock Purdy, who is due for his first extension with the San Francisco 49ers following a blistering start to his career.

Spotrac had estimated Purdy to have a market value of nearly $60 million per season, although the 49ers reportedly only offered $45 million to open talks.

The latest reports suggest the 25-year-old won't accept much less than $60 million, although he may have settle for a low-to-mid 50s offer with a high guarantee similar to Allen's deal.

Other young quarterbacks such as C.J. Stroud will have a chance to reset the market next season, but it seems lower AAVs with higher guarantees are the path front offices are preferring to take when it comes to QB contracts for now.

The Seattle Seahawks have been one of the most puzzling teams to follow during the 2025 NFL offseason.

They appeared ready to tear things down and rebuild from the ground up when team brass shipped off incumbent starting quarterback Geno Smith and star receiver D.K. Metcalf via trade and cut longtime pass-catcher Tyler Lockett.

The moves made sense given the Seahawks had missed the playoffs for two consecutive years and hadn't won a single postseason contest since 2019.

However, rather than embrace the all-out rebuild using the extra draft capital and cap space it had collected from the Smith and Metcalf deals, Seattle reversed course at the start of the free-agency signing period.

The Seahawks dished out a three-year, $100.5 million contract to Sam Darnold, a move that clearly signaled the club plans to contend in the coming seasons.

While Darnold's deal isn't terrible given his contributions during his lone season starting for the Minnesota Vikings before hitting the open market, the Seahawks don't have the same level of support for the journeyman signal-caller.

Although they went a respectable 10-7 with Smith leading the way last year, they'll struggle to compete with their roughshod offensive line and lack of weapons outside of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp—the aging and injury-prone veteran who was picked up recently to augment the quarterback.

It now seems the Seahawks will have to go for broke and make a heavy push to contend during Darnold's tenure under center.

The NFC West is winnable—the veteran-laden and cash-strapped Los Angeles Rams are the biggest threat now that the San Francisco 49ers are in a state of transition and the Arizona Cardinals remain mired in mediocrity—but it's hard to envision this group making a Super Bowl run without Seattle nailing its 2025 draft picks.

At least the Seahawks would again find themselves on a clear path should they decide to fill their most glaring holes with potential impact starters gained from the 10 selections they hold in the upcoming draft.

They could fall astray again, though, if they fail to draft for need and take chances on raw prospects with upside next month.   

The 2025 quarterback class lacks the upside and depth that last year's crop of passers offered.

It seems a maximum of three signal-callers will come off the board on the first day of the upcoming draft, which is a stark drop from 2024 when a record-tying six were selected within the first 12 picks.

Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are the only two QBs who appear guaranteed to hear their name called during the event's opening round. While both have a lot to offer and sky-high ceilings, they have their flaws as well. This could lead to one or potentially even both falling come draft night.

The Tennessee Titans are the best bet to take a quarterback early and have the No. 1 overall pick at their disposal.

They desperately need a passer to construct their roster around after Will Levis—selected at the top of the second round in 2023—failed to pan out.

Tennessee eschewed a veteran option in free agency and is trending toward a full rebuild headlined by whichever QB it chooses with the first pick.

Ward—the No. 1-ranked QB and No. 9 overall prospect on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's big board—is currently the consensus choice for the Titans.

The Miami product recently threw in front of Tennessee decision-makers at his pro day and believes he "solidified" his status as the organization's choice at No. 1 overall with a strong workout.

Sanders is a far bigger wild card. While he's the No. 2 passer on the B/R Scouting Department's board, he only rates as the No. 18 overall prospect in 2025.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport revealed the Colorado standout is likely to go in the top 15, but he told The Pat McAfee Show (h/t Jaclyn Hendricks of the New York Post) his potential landing spot as "the biggest draft question mark that I can remember in a very, very long time."

If Ward goes to the Titans at No. 1 as projected, Sanders could hear his name called as early as No. 2 by the Cleveland Browns or potentially even fall outside the top 10.

It's going to be one of the biggest storylines to follow when the 2025 draft kicks off on April 24.

Sam Darnold's decision to sign with the Seattle Seahawks was one of the biggest dominos to fall at the onset of the new league year. The move jump-started a chain reaction that led to several teams snatching up veterans to fill their respective voids under center, although other clubs elected to stand pat and not rush to a decision.

The New York Giants made the latest move when they reportedly signed Russell Wilson to a one-year deal (per ESPN's Adam Schefter). Big Blue's maneuver has effectively left just one proven quarterback up for grabs for the one team still in the market for a starter, although it could still be a while before Aaron Rodgers makes his decision.

Rodgers is the consensus best signal-caller still lingering in free agency, although his game is beginning to fade at this late stage of his Hall of Fame career. While Rodgers did throw for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2024, his tenure with the New York Jets ended with a 5-12 record and without a much-anticipated playoff appearance.

Now heading into his age-42 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers appear to be his only serious suitor. The other option for Rodgers would be retirement, which doesn't seem to be off the table either.

Neither side needs to rush a decision, but the Steelers would likely prefer to have a clear idea of their quarterback situation before the 2025 NFL draft gets underway.